2015 Top 10

And here we are again! A new year is upon us, the Oscars are right around the corner, and once again it's time to list our own personal best-of lists before the Academy takes their crack at it. So just like last year, here's my breakdown of who I'd like to see in the winners' circle.

But before I do, let me throw out here that I think in terms of women in film, this year was even better than the last. Look at my top ten from last year: most of the female characters in those films were supporting players instead of leading characters, the majority of the people behind the camera were male, and when the Oscars rolled around those few women who were involved behind-the-scenes were shut out in favor of their male associates. (Someone please explain to me why Inherent Vice was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay instead of Gone Girl? Go ahead, I'll wait.) I just hope and pray that this year, the Academy members will choose to honor stories involving women, written by women, and produced by women as well as the scene-stealers that came from their male counterparts.

10. Age of Adaline
I'd give it: Best Score
Why: I loved the premise of Age of Adaline more than the script, I'll admit. But Blake Lively and Harrison Ford have always been personal favorites of mine, and it was fantastic to see them share screen time. I liked the rest of the film, but their scenes were a standout and one of the elements that brought this movie from a runner-up to the #10 spot. Now, I know that with many other strong contenders, these two will likely not be honored for their acting, and I understand why. With that said, if there was an Academy Award for "Most Surprising Performances," these two would win it--I've never seen Harrison Ford play this kind of role before. But the real scene-stealer of this film was the music. I heard a lot of beautiful scores this year, but far and above Age of Adaline takes the cake--and that was the other factor in bringing this one into the top 10.

9. Bridge of Spies
I'd give it: Best Art Direction
Why: Because look at it! Honestly, if there was an award for Best-Researched Period Piece, Bridge of Spies would have it on lock. There was no point in the film that I felt "taken out" of the film by an anachronism or a cheap set piece. Spielberg has always been an expert at putting together a visual experience for his audience, and this is no exception. There were moments I felt like I was in that cell with Gary Powers, or in the courtroom with Rudolph Abel and James Donovan, and that was partly the actors, yes, but a huge part of it was the look of the film. You want attention to detail? I'll give you attention to detail: look at the re-creation of 1950s Berlin. You really can't get more detailed than that. Oh, and side note: if at least one of the actors in this film doesn't pull a Best Supporting Actor or even Best Actor nomination, I will be very surprised.

8. The Martian
I'd give it: Best Cinematography
Why: If I could give it "Best Wisecracks," I would. But really, this movie was freaking beautiful and I'm not even going to try and guess how much of a headache the cinematographer had by the end of the shoot. Try shooting in dust sometime. Or try shooting a bluescreen. Or try hearing your director say "oh don't worry, we'll just add this in post," and attempting to shoot something that literally isn't there. You'll see what I mean. My compliments to Dariusz Wolski for keeping his sanity, because I really don't know if I could have done that. Not to say that the actors didn't do their part in making this a delightful movie; they did, but in the end it was the landscape and the visuals that made it one of the best films of the year. (And may I just add, thank you, Ridley Scott, for making a space-themed movie with a happy ending? About time!)

7. Suffragette
I'd give it: Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress for Carey Mulligan
Why: I love movies that make me forget where I am and what my place is in the world. But I love movies that remind me of who I am even more. When I saw Suffragette, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be a 21st century woman: I can vote, I can date or marry whomever I'd like, I can have my career of choice, I can make my own money and have my own life. But it also reminded me of how many women around the world still don't have those basic rights--and how many women in my own country legally have those rights but are prevented by circumstance from exercising them--and how far we still have to go before women are seen as truly equal. And Carey Mulligan's performance is a knockout. I knew the woman could act, but it wasn't until I saw her portrayal of a mother torn between her child and her own needs that I saw just how skilled she really is.

6. Inside Out
I'd give it: Best VFX, Best Editing
Why: Because I can't give two movies the same nomination? Honestly, aside from the script (Pixar, you wonderful bastards, you did it again) what made this film so perfect was the way they created Riley's mind-landscape and made it relatable through color, light and sound. The perfect touch, in my opinion, was having the emotions "glow" from within, while the humans were given matte skin and ordinary features. Can we just appreciate how far Pixar has come since their Toy Story days? And can we please all send a few thousand well-deserved thank-you notes to the entire team of animators and graphic designers who made this film what it was? It should go without saying that should this beat out my next entry for Best Animated Feature, I probably wouldn't be disappointed in the least.

5. Shaun the Sheep
I'd give it: Best Animated Feature, Best Sound Mixing/Editing
Why: Yes, I did just admit that Inside Out will probably take this category, and rightly so, as it's one of Pixar's finest masterpieces...but oh my God can we talk about Shaun the Sheep for one minute please? This is a claymation film, which in case you didn't know are harder than hell to put together--try to make one minute of stop-motion film with your Legos, and if your sanity is still intact at the end, more power to you--that tells a sweet, funny, heartfelt story, in less than an hour and a half, with more animal characters than humans--and virtually no dialogue. Inside Out might have had a damn fine script, but as far as I'm concerned, in terms of pure visual storytelling, Shaun the Sheep takes the cake.

4. The Death of 'Superman Lives': What Happened
I'd give it: Best Documentary
Why: For my senior project, I made a documentary. It was less than five minutes long, and it took me almost an entire semester to put it together. So you can imagine how impressed I'd be with Jon Schnepp, who put together a 104-minute wonder from the ground up--and absolutely packed it with archival footage, photos, concept art, and when the story called for it, original animation. I had never seen a documentary with that much detail before, and keep in mind I've seen some pretty heavy ones. But what was impressive was that unlike, say, Blackfish, a film that purely relied on its archival footage to tell a story, Schnepp knew how to balance all that wonderful stuff he dug up on the aborted Superman Lives with interviews from the people who would have made the film happen. I have seen a lot of docs that I loved, but this is by far my favorite of the year...and quite possibly my favorite of all time.

3. Trumbo
I'd give it: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Bryan Cranston, Best Supporting Actress for Diane Lane
Why: I fell in love with Bryan Cranston when I first started watching Breaking Bad, even as I came to hate his character over the seasons my respect for him as an actor never changed, and this film does a spectacular job of highlighting his talent. As for Diane Lane...I know, I know. Helen Mirren has already been pointed for some awards, and rightly so. But Lane and Cranston are an unstoppable pair in Trumbo, and their chemistry is one of the huge factors in why Trumbo's downward spiral after he is blacklisted is so hard to watch. That, combined with the theme of compromise woven throughout the script--Trumbo and his friends are torn between their careers and their beliefs, while Cleo has to compromise her needs to support her husband--makes Trumbo a painful and invigorating watch. This one is tied with Suffragette and Spotlight for the non-existent "Made Avery Want To Get Off Her Ass And Make A Difference In The World" award.

2. Jenny's Wedding
I'd give it: Best Director for Mary Agnes Donoghue
Why: No, the screenplay isn't spectacular, and yes, the ending is predictably happy...but let me tell you, to a girl who is just out of college and beginning to break away from her parents, man does this movie ever hit home. It's not really about Jenny's sexual preference at all; her orientation is merely a catalyst for the inevitable separation from her parents, and it's the way she learns to deal with the differences between her and her family that makes Jenny's Wedding such a valuable watch. It's hard to become your own person when you love your parents so deeply, and Donoghue does a spectacular job of conveying that through her movie. For anyone asking "But what about the other, more prominent lesbian films that came out this year:" this is the first that I have seen that was made by a woman, and it shows. Unlike Carol and Freeheld, there's nothing political about Jenny's Wedding. It's a story about a woman who learns to be herself and be with her family. Period. Nothing more, nothing less.

1. Spotlight
I'd give it: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo
Why: First things first: I'd love to give Michael Keaton the Oscar he so achingly deserves (TO HECK WITH YOU, EDDIE REDMAYNE), but Ruffalo just plain kicks ass in this film. I've already listed the reasons why, so let me just say that if he isn't at least nominated, I will seriously consider protesting at the Dolby Theater. If I could give this an overall award for Best Cast, I sure as hell would. But I can't, so let's just give it Best Picture (BECAUSE IT SERIOUSLY IS THE BEST MOVIE TO COME OUT THIS YEAR!) and leave it at that, okay? And let's just hope and pray that Mad Max: Fury Road doesn't make the cut, because if it does...well...let's take that "protesting" comment and multiply it by about 10,000, that's what'll happen if Mad Max beats this film for the top award.